Development And Implementation Of An Interactive Instructional Module For Light Distribution In Tissue

At the very core of the field of biomedical optics (defined as the use of light from far-ultraviolet through the visible into the infrared for diagnostic, therapeutic and sensing applications in medicine and biology) lies a thorough understanding of light distribution in biological tissue. Courses in this field typically put significant emphasis on student’s understanding of light transport in tissue. Analytically this process is described by the light transport equation which has little utility in helping students who are novices in this field obtain a conceptual understanding of light distribution in tissue. Students at all levels struggle with the concepts and have difficulty obtaining a working knowledge of the role of the various tissue properties, boundary conditions and laser parameters on light transport. The goal of this project was 1) to develop an interactive and visual learning module based on Monte Carlo simulations as education tool; 2) design learning activities to help students systematically explore the properties of light and tissue interaction relative to specific goals; and 3) to implement this module and its graphical interface in a Biomedical Engineering course in Biomedical Optics. Preliminary evaluations suggest that the hands-on experience of students using this module results in an increased conceptual understanding of light distribution in tissue. In addition, this method exposes students to the value, capabilities, as well as difficulties and limitations of numerical modeling of processes in Biomedical Engineering in general.